It is known to convey particulate soiids with vibratory conveyors. Most vibratory conveyors comprise a vibratory conveyor trough, which is resiliently supported or resiliently suspended.
Vibratory motion is imparted to the trough by a force acting on the bottom of the trough in a direction which is at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction of the trough. That force is generated by rotating unbalance members, eccentric members or electromagnetic actuators and accelerates the trough in horizontal and vertical directions. These accelerations result in an acceleration vector, which includes an acute angle with the direction of conveyance.
The vertical acceleration must exceed the acceleration due to gravity so that the solid particles will separate from the trough and perform a ballistic movement in the direction of conveyance. The troughs may be open-topped or they may be covered so that an escape of dust will be prevented or chemical reactions with gases can be carried out. The cover does not influence the conveying motion of the solid particles. (Open German Application DE OS No. 25 05 202, German patent publication DE AS No. 22 07 225, Open German application DE OS No. 24 10 328, Open German application DE OS No. 24 10 344, Open German application DE OS No. 24 10 345, U.S. Pat. No. 2,277,067, "Fordern und Heben", 1961, pages 317 to 327).
The acceleration vector which includes an acute angle with the direction of conveyance may alternatively be produced in that the trough is subjected to separate accelerations in a vertical direction and in a direction which is parallel to the direction of conveyance. The direction of conveyance can be reversed by a reversal of the polarity of the vibrators acting in a direction which is parallel to the direction of conveyance (Open German application DE OS No. 19 42 332).
Such vibratory conveyor troughs may also be used to effect an upward or downward conveyance up to a certain angle but they cannot be used for an upward or downward vertical conveyance. An upward vertical conveyance can be effected only with helical troughs or in pipes provided with internal fixtures (U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,215).
British patent specification No. 1,225,899 describes a conveyor which consists of two concentrical tubes whereby the annular space between the tubes is divided into a plurality of channels by means of radially arranged walls. The open lower end of the conveyor is immersed into a bed of the material to be conveyed. Linear oscillations are imparted to the conveyor parallel to the axis of the tubes and torsional oscillations across the axis. The channels are filled in a state of rest over the entire cross section with the material. By means of the angular accelerations of the torsional oscillatory motions the material is forced towards the walls of channels and the material is moved upwardly by means of the linear oscillations.
Vibratory conveyor troughs can mainly be used to convey materials. They are not well suited for carrying out chemical or physical processes in which gases are conducted in covered troughs to flow cocurrently or countercurrently to the direction of conveyance because the transfer of material and heat takes place mainly on the surface of the bed of solids and does not affect the entire cross section of that bed. A flow of gases through the entire bed in transverse streams passing through perforated bottoms disposed under the bed would require a relatively high structural expenditure and in that case it is not possible to provide for a countercurrent or cocurrent flow of the gases, which is often desired.